Kärcher Creates Cleaning Art Message Board at Hands Shibuya Ahead of Its Closing

On November 4, German cleaning equipment maker Kärcher held "Sen-Kyu! Hands," a message-board event using "cleaning art," at the Hands Shibuya store (Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku), which will close on the 15th of this month. The event was organized by Kärcher Japan, the company's Japanese subsidiary.

Part of the Senden Project

The event is part of the "Kärcher Senden Project," which the company has been running since April. It is an initiative that lets people casually enjoy "reverse graffiti" in the city, drawing pictures through the contrast between areas where dirt has been washed away with a pressure washer and areas left untouched. Shibuya is the fourth city in the project, and the event was held as one of the "We're Washing Shibuya" actions.

Messages from Six Shibuya Locations

On a wall of SING Street, between Hands Shibuya and Shibuya Parco, messages from six locations were drawn: Shibuya Loft, Tower Records Shibuya, SHIBUYA109 Shibuya, Shibuya Parco, Seibu Shibuya, and the Hachiko statue. Using a commercial-grade high-pressure washer and stencils, dirt was removed along the shapes of the messages to make them appear.

Citizen Message-Writing Experience on the Rooftop

On the rooftop, which was once open to the public, a citizen-participation message-writing experience was also held, mainly for Hands members. Stencils of messages such as "Thank you" and hand illustrations were prepared. One woman who took part said, "I hope I can leave behind some memories," expressing her regret over the closing.

Other Cleaning Actions

On November 1, Hachiko's footprints were drawn leading from the Hachiko statue to the Hachiko statue in Miyashita Park. On November 2 and 3, as a collaboration with the "Shibuya Art Festival," artist BAKIBAKI created artwork on a wall along the Shibuya River.